Ax.



W. W. WALLACE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC? 14. 1915.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

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lUNTTEU PATENT WAYNE W. WALLACE, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

Application filed December 14, 1915.

0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, VVAYNE W. VVALLACE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Axes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of axes, and an object of the invention is to provide an ax head with a novel construction of handle and means for securing the handle to the head, the said handle carrying a guard for the sharpened edge of the ax head which when not in use is wholly concealed in the handle, and the said handle being further provided with a saw blade which also is wholly concealed in the handle when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ax with a metallic handle having one of its edges opened to receive a foldable spring pressed guard, the said guard comprising an arm attached directly to the spring and a. guard proper having an offset portion pivotally secured to the arm, said offset portion including a hook which is adapted to engage with the lateral member or stud in the handle when the guard is in its folded condition to have its opposite end contacted by a spring pressed stop so as to effectively retain the guard in the handle, the parts being so arranged that when the stop is actuated to bring the same out of engagement with the guard, the spring connected with the arm of the guard will automatically swing the guard to an open position and the guard proper at a right angle to the arm, whereby the same may be readily positioned over the edge of the ax head.

With the above and, other objects in view, the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Tn the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement, the guard being illustrated in position upon the ax head, Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal sectional. view through a portion of the handle and a portion of the ax head, showing the guard in its folded position, the dotted lines indicating the position of the arm and guard when the spring catch is brought out of engagement with the guard.

My improvement may be applied to any ordinary construction of ax heads and as Specification of Letters Extent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Serial No. 66,789.

disclosed in the drawings, the ax head is indicated by the numeral 1 and is provided upon its opposite faces with longitudinally extending depressions or channels 2 which are adapted to receive the arms 33 provided at the bifurcated end of a metallic handle 4. The arms 3 are provided with a plurality of spaced openings which register with similar openings in the sides of the ax heads, and suitable securing elements, in the nature of screws 5 are employed for securing the arms to the head. It will be noted that the inner edge of the ax contacts with the straight wall of the handle 4- between the arms 3-3 thereof which provides a brace for the said inner edge of the head and tends to render the connection between the handle and the ax head firm and rigid.

The edge of the handle next to the cutting edge of the ax head 1 will, for the sake of convenience, be hereinafter referred to as the inner edge of the said handle, and the said handle for a suitable distance from its connection with the ax head is U-shaped in cross section, providing a pocket 6 which opens to the said inner edge of the handle. The pocket 6, adjacent the outer edge of the handle is approximately centrally spanned by a bolt or pin 7 around which is wounda wire spring 8, one end of said spring being secured upon the lower wall of the pocket and the other strand being pivotally connected with an arm 9. This arm has its free end widened and is pivotally connected, as at 10, to a guard member 11 at the juncture of the said guard member with an angular extension or tail portion 12. The tail 12 has what I will term its outer face for the major portion of its length opened and the side walls of said tail are provided with curved depressions 13 and are connected be low the said depressions by a transverse wall 1d. The depressions 13 provide the tail with What may be termed a hook, and this hook is adapted to engage with a transverse pin 15. When the member 11 is swung upon the pivot 10 over the member 9 the hook 13 is adapted to be brought into engagement with the transverse pin member 15, the arm 9 resting upon the bolt member 7, which bolt member provides what may be termed a fulcrum for the said arm. The spring has its end which is secured to the arm 9 normally exerting a tension toward the inner wall of the pocket, but when the guard is folded as just described, the said spring will be forced in a line with the outer face of the arm 9. As it is necessary to secure the guardmember 11 in this folded position, to prevent the spring assuming its normal angle and consequently swinging the arm 9 outwardly of the pocket, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and also causing the guard 11 to be swung upon its pivotal connection 10 of the said arm. As illustrated by the dotted lines in the said Fig. 2 I provide a spring catch member 16, which in the present instance is illustrated as arranged in a suit able depression or pocket in the ax head but which it is to be understood may also be directly attached to the handle if desired. This member is normally forced outwardly or in a position to overlie and contact with theend of the guard 11 through the medium of a spring 17 and is provided with an operating button 18, whereby the member may be brought out of contacting position with the guard to permit of the outward swinging of the guard as previously described.

When the guard is brought over the cutting edge of the ax head, as illustrated in Fig. 1, it is to be noted that the spring 8 will exert a downward tension upon the arm 9 and consequently force the slotted guard toward the cutting edge of the ax, and also the spring pressed member 16 will exert a tension to bring the end of the guard opposite that provided with the tail 12 into contact with the outer edge of the ax head. It will be noted that, by reference to the drawing, this end of the guard is closed and it will be noted by reference to the said drawing, that the depth of the bifurcated or channeled guard 11 is sufiicient to prevent the same contacting with the cutting edge of the aX head. 7

The handle 4 from the pocket 6 to the outer end thereof is provided upon its inner edge with a centrally arranged slot sufiicient to receive a saw blade 19 which is pivotally secured, as at 20.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the invention,

cured to the free end of the arm, said tail at the outer edge thereof having curved depressions providing a hook, a transverse member in the pocket adapted to be engaged by the hook when the arm is swung upon the fulcrum member when the guard is swung over the arm in the pocket, and means engaging with the guard for retaining the same in the pocket.

2. An ax including a metal handle, said handle having a pocket arranged longitudinally thereof from its connection with the aX head, a transverse fulcrum member in the pocket, a spring connected with the fulcrum member and exerting a tension inward of the pocket, an arm having one of its ends connected with the spring, a guard member having a tail portion pivotally secured to the free end of the arm, said tail at the outer edge thereof having curved depressions providing a hook, a transverse member in the pocket adapted to be engaged by the hook when the arm is swung upon the fulcrum member when the guard is swung over the arm in the pocket, and spring pressed means engaging with the guard for retaining the same in the pocket.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WAYNE W. WALLACE.

Witnesses:

H. G. MILLER, G. S. MLLLER.

Commissioner of latents,

Washington, D. G. 

